Aquaman may be one of DC's best-selling titles, but the character hasn't always been so high-profile.

Although the character has been around since 1941, Aquaman's revival in popularity has been pretty recent in modern-day comics. Before that, he was.... well... less than beloved by most comic fans.

"I've loved Aquaman since I was a kid watching the Superman/Aquaman Adventure Hour," DC writer Tony Bedard told Newsarama. "I just pretty much assumed back then that Aquaman was of the same stature as Superman.

"Flash forward a few years and I find out that to most comics readers, Aquaman is the Rodney Dangerfield of the Justice League," he said.

In fact, on American television, Aquaman has been ridiculed the last few years on shows like Saturday Night Live, Mad and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

So what made him well known enough to endure on mainstream TV, yet be the butt of every joke?

And how did he evolve in comic books during the last 70-plus years to become the hero he is today?

As DC is shining a spotlight on Aquaman with the Justice League/Aquaman crossover "Throne of Atlantis," Newsarama takes a look at why and how Aquaman has evolved and endured.